Sports News of Friday, 11 August 2017

Source: ghanasoccernet.com

Arrest Nii Lante Vanderpuye over bribery claims - Ghana FA spokesman

The GFA spokesman has tagged Vanderpuye's claims as false assertions The GFA spokesman has tagged Vanderpuye's claims as false assertions

Ghana FA spokesman Ibrahim Sannie Daara says ex-Sports Minister Nii Lante Vanderpuye must be arrested for the cover up of a crime after the latter claimed that federation officials tried to bribe him.

Daara says for not reporting his allegations of bribery, the former government official has colluded in a crime which he must answer for.

The GFA spokesman added that Vanderpuye could not report the matter to the police because his claims of bribery are false.

The media head for the GFA said Vanderpuye's latest attack is a tactic to divert attention from the successes chalked by the new sports Minister Isaac Asiamah while seeking failure for Ghana's upcoming tough matches for the Local Black Stars and the Black Stars.

According to Daara, Vanderpuye's consistent attacks on the the GFA is part of his deep seated hatred for Kwesi Nyantakyi, the federation head.

Vanderpuye, who presided over a chaotic reign as sports minister, twisted another knife into the Ghana Football Association on Thursday, by claiming officials tried to bribe him.

But in a hard hitting interview in on Kumasi-based radio station Kessben FM, Daara said Vanderpuye's attempts to demonize the GFA will be swiftly dealt with.

"Nii Lante was in power and had all the state apparatus to arrest and prosecute anybody committing a crime yet he failed to do it because his knows his claims are false," Daara told Kessben FM.

"As a minister if he knew of a crime like bribery and did not take the action of reporting the person or people concerned then he has also committed a crime and must answer for it.

"I dare him to name the person or people who brought envelopes to him. If he can't name anyone then it shows clearly that he is lying - his stock-in-trade.

"The fact is that Nii Lante knows that what he is saying is false and he will say it just to deceive the public and demonise the GFA. We won't take it sitting down anymore.

"There are many many false things he said about the GFA and it is all because of his deep hatred for the GFA President Kwesi Nyantakyi. His attempts started many years ago.

"The new sports minister is working and getting things done like the revival of the National Sports Festival and so no so Nii Lante wants to divert attention from these successes.

"The Local Black Stars are playing this weekend and Black Stars later this month so he wants to take our eyes off the ball and we won't allow him.

"Instead of formulating policies to develop sports in Ghana he said he policy was 'kakai' and it is no surprise that he failed miserably."

Vanderpuye was at loggerheads with football authorities and boasts he stopped corrupt practices but the claim is consistently rubbished by the GFA.

Many believe his feud with Ghana FA is the cause of the Black Stars' slow start to the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Also, the Ghana U20 team failed to qualify for the 2017 African Youth Championship. But Vanderpuye, the Member of Parliament for Odododiodio, insists his fight against the Ghana FA was justified.